7 Different Hand Grips of Pole Dancing

Let’s talk about hand grips. Whether you’ve just started out or have been dancing for a while, we can all agree that we definitely use our hands in pole dancing. From the most basic climb, to a fun spin, or a complex invert - our hands and how we grip the pole do affect our overall movement and help us avoid injuries too.

These are the 7 kinds of hand grips we’ll go in depth with.

• True grip
• Strong hold Grip
• Split Grip
• Half bracket Grip
• Forearm Grip
• Twisted Grip
• Cup Grip

True Grip

Strong Hold Grip

The strong hold grip is one you use when you’re doing your basic invert or those pole conditioning exercises to build your core aka abs. This grip utilizes the true grip on both hands but the difference is how your arm is placed to the side of the pole. The elbow is bent and the pole hits the bicep for a secure contact spot. Think of it like giving the pole a hug. 

See this grip in action with the Unicorn Split trick.

Split Grip

The split grip, also known as the full bracket grip, is just like how its name suggests and involves each hand gripping in opposite directions like a bracket. This grip is used in a variety of spins and inverted pole moves, relying on the push and pull technique - pushing with your bottom hand and pulling with your top hand.

See this grip in action with the Handspring trick.

Half Bracket Grip

The half bracket grip is another version of the split grip. The significant difference in this grip is the bottom hand now holds the pole in true/cup grip form.

See this grip in action with the Fireman trick.

Forearm Grip

The forearm grip, as its namesake, involves the forearm. This particular grip is great for inverts and flips because of the support in where your pivot from which is the forearm. This grip also ensures that your body is not crashing straight into the pole when climbing and doing transitions.

See this grip in action with the Ayesha with a Forearm Grip trick.

Twisted Grip

The twisted grip is another version of the split grip. The significant difference in this grip is now with the top hand. Instead of it facing away, your shoulder rotates so the hand grip would be twisted to reach around the pole.

See this grip in action with the Ballerina trick.

Cup Grip

The cup grip, unlike other grips, focuses on the use of finger strength to grip the pole. The hand is positioned in such a way where all fingers are on the same side of the pole. The hands themselves can be on the same or opposite side, and the weight should be against the base of your fingers and top of palm.

See this grip in action with the Shoulder Mount trick.